Ban plastic bags: Put wildlife over waste

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As a child swimming was the best part of my summer, but opening the pool was the worst. Every year there were at least a dozen plastic bags floating in the pool.

As a child I blamed the rural farms connected to my backyard, not realizing the problem is plastic pollution. Single-use plastic bags create unnecessary waste that ends up polluting our backyards and the environment. I was excited to see Lancaster City Council approve a non-binding resolution on plastic bags this summer, taking a step in the right direction to encourage citizens to invest in reusable bags.

Our New Jersey neighbor has also made progress this summer. There are now seven cities with bag bans and 5 cities with bag fees. Governor Murphy also made the right environmental move in vetoing a statewide bag fee this past week that would have made it difficult to pass a statewide bag ban. While there have been previous attempts in Pennsylvania to pass a bag ban, we need to continue fighting for a ban to protect our environment and waterways. I want a future where my children can enjoy swimming without waste. We are calling on the Milford Borough Council to put wildlife over waste by passing municipal resolutions around plastic bags so future generations have the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors.